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Review of “The Solace of Water” by Elizabeth Byler Younts

Book description from Amazon:

“Younts has set herself apart with this exquisite story of friendship and redemption . . . I’ll be talking about this book for years to come.” —Rachel Hauck, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Dress

“In a time of grief and heartache, an unlikely friendship provides strength and solace.”

“After leaving her son’s grave behind in Montgomery, Alabama, Delilah Evans has little faith that moving to her husband’s hometown in Pennsylvania will bring a fresh start. Enveloped by grief and doubt, the last thing Delilah imagines is becoming friends with her reclusive Amish neighbor, Emma Mullet—yet the secrets that keep Emma isolated from her own community bond her to Delilah in delicate and unexpected ways.

Delilah’s eldest daughter, Sparrow, bears the brunt of her mother’s pain, never allowed for a moment to forget she is responsible for her brother’s death. When tensions at home become unbearable for her, she seeks peace at Emma’s house and becomes the daughter Emma has always wanted. Sparrow, however, is hiding secrets of her own—secrets that could devastate them all.

With the white, black, and Amish communities of Sinking Creek at their most divided, there seems to be little hope for reconciliation. But long-buried hurts have their way of surfacing, and Delilah and Emma find themselves facing their own self-deceptions. Together they must learn how to face the future through the healing power of forgiveness.

Eminently relevant to the beauty and struggle in America today, The Solace of Water offers a glimpse into the turbulent 1950s and reminds us that friendship rises above religion, race, and custom—and has the power to transform a broken heart.”

My Review:

This is not an easy book to read.

The very first page of this book broke my heart. From that page forward, I was mesmerized by this well-written, unusual story. There is not one page of this book that’s comfortable. The themes of racism; deep grief over the tragic loss of a child; alcohol addiction; anger; and deceitfulness run through every part of this story. But just when I thought  there was no way out of the grief these characters were experiencing, the powers of friendship, faith, love, and forgiveness came alive just when they were needed the most.

The characters of Emma, Sparrow, and Delilah are quite complex and we view this broken story through their eyes. Reading this book is a remarkable journey of seeing how faith can change even the most desperate of situations. This is not a “happily ever after” kind of story, but it’s a reminder that when God is allowed to work in a life, even the bitter things become trophies of His grace.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

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